Innovative Lighting Seen at the London Design Festival

The London Design Festival is a massive collection of new and original design from around the world. With so many venues, it takes a sharp-eyed design junky to make sense of it all.

Lighting is one area where there is a lot of interesting innovation. These lovely, graceful whisks, usually used for making eggs, have been turned into a string of lights. Using the obvious household implements, this Cypriot designer, also makes a stand up lamp from a garden rake.

Photo: B. Alter, vanja bazdulj

These felt lamps would add an eccentric touch to your dining room. They are designed by a Slovenian, and made out of wool felt which is moulded and painted. She is interested in playful and experimental use of materials, so that we look at the world differently, which these lights certainly make you do.

Photo: B. Alter, la torre cruz

These lights almost look like birds' wings. But they are made out of crushed mulberry bark fibres which have been turned into a pulp. Mulberry is an invasive plant in Asia; the farmers burn it there. Silk worms love to eat it too. These lights, by a designer from the Philippines, are dyed black or come in a cream colour and contain an LED light bulb and are a flat pack.

Photo: B. Alter, the Rag and Bone Man

The Rag and Bone man has made these lights out of junk collected around the east end of London. He makes his way on a vintage bike, looking for bits to turn into something slightly art deco-ish. Each light is unique, and made using a wide variety of skills including welding, brazing, polishing, lacquering and various patinas.

Photo: B. Alter, Wambamboo

The Australians had a whole show, called Matilda, of the work of 30 designers. These bamboo lights, called The Wambamboo were made of bamboo and are hand-crafted and made using CNC cut components, recyclable materials, non-toxic glues and water-based finishes. The designer wants to address his concerns regarding mass-production and the overuse of non-renewable polluting materials in the furniture industry.